Dynamite
by Levstruk
Summary: Having a room mate means getting along with them, so when Umi meets hers, will they form the closest bond, or leave with the worst? Find out as Umi meets new people, and begins a new life at Akihabara. Rated T just to be safe, might change later on. Multichapter. 3rd Genre is Angst.
1. Chapter 1

**_A/N:_** _This is my first ever fanfiction on this site. I really like Love Live! and have my ships, which one (or two) of them will be revealed later in this fic :3 It won't be too long I hope, but lets see how this goes! This is just a short chapter, and later on they will become longer. It is also an AU as well, just to confirm. I apologise for any OOC and I also gave Umi a little personality shift-ish. ^~^ Anyways, I hope you guys like it!_

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Love Live! and any of it's characters.**

* * *

 _Chapter One_

Tomorrow, she would get to meet her new room mate. Oh God, a _room mate_. It only went unannounced until last week, and then a train of sleepless nights had haunted her. Right now, Umi was packing, and not everything had been put away for moving. All she knew about her room mate - who she was going to meet for the first time - was that she was a girl, who was one year younger than herself. At least that was what she was told by her father. Hopefully, in the end, they'd get along. After all, Umi thought endless possibilities. Most of them negative. She could feel her forehead sweat as she put away her clothes, her teeth clattering. What if this new room mate was, horrible? Surely, that wouldn't be the case, right? The bluenette sighed, and thought to herself, to stay positive. A new place, in Akihabara. Different from here, in Tokyo. A new school, a new beginning. She was starting fresh. From scratch.

Umi stared at her phone, and the paper beside it. It had a number, her room mate's number. She hadn't called her yet, and she couldn't. Who would call in the middle of the night, just to talk about moving? Especially with someone who you've barely met? The bluenette thought it would be a waste of time for the girl she hadn't met yet, but, she wanted to get to know her. Though, that would wait until tomorrow.

Otonokizaka Academy was the school she was moving to. Sure, she would miss her friends from Tokyo, but, the excitement of meeting others caused her to grin widely. Umi was known for being shy, and that was until she got too comfortable with someone. She would be scolding, sometimes out-of-the-ordinary, and much more. If her friends were in an interview, they would be certain to name anything about the young archer. Yes, you've got it, Umi is an archer. Oh wait- _was_ an archer. Unless there was a club in Otonokizaka (she would instantly sign up if there was). Usually, she would go to competitions, and end up in a very high rank. In fact, near the top in the leaderboard. Her parents were proud of her for that, and so Umi trained everyday after school. Intense concentration would always be the fire in her soul, which makes most of the time, hitting bullseye right in the middle of the target. Archery can be a very difficult, however it was a rewarding experience.

By the time she reached out for her undergarments, Umi heard a creak as the door opened, a stretch of light reflecting on the floor. The new appearance seemed to be her mother, who was faintly smiling. The same dark hair, let loose and drifting against the air. That was what she had inherited, whereas she had her father's eyes. The bluenette turned around.

"Do you understand why you're moving, Umi?"

Within her mother's grasp was a glass of water, and she handed it to the amber-eyed girl. Before responding, Umi took a little sip, and hoisted her head, muttering a thank you; she said:

"Yes. I know father got a promotion, and he has to stay here, in Tokyo. I would be home alone, since father and you, mother, are always working. So, you decided to give me a room mate, and move in Akihabara as well as join a new school. I understand."

Her mother walked towards her and brushed Umi's midnight bangs to the side, pressing a loving kiss on her forehead. A sigh escaped her rosy lips. "We would have moved to Akihabara if we could, so you did not have a room mate, however, your father is very hardworking and will not hesitate to give his full potential."

"Mother...it's alright," Umi reassured her, and smiled. It was returned, and eventually her mother put up a finger in realisation, staring at her daughter as if a rock had just hit her.

"Ah, about your room mate. Her mother called me a few minutes ago. You will arrive at the Nishikino's tomorrow hopefully before lunch. Their butler Geoffrey will help you move your things into the house."

Umi widened her eyes. She didn't know her room mate was the daughter of...

"The Nishikino's? The people who are very good doctors, and inherit _The Nishikino Hospital_? Their intelligence is highly impressive, and receive outstanding results according to their recent inspection. Mother...how could you?"

She didn't ask her to end up with an enriched family.

"Now, Umi. Your father is very well acquainted with dear Maki's father. So, they offered to let you live with them. Very generous, indeed. You should be thankful they decided to offer an accommodation." she explained thoroughly, and Umi nodded hesitantly. The golden-eyed bluenette registered what had been told, and she then discovered that her room mate was the Nishikino Maki. The daughter of well-known doctors, and has won various competitions involving music, generally labelling her as a good composer. Often placing gold, and rarely any silver and bronze. Umi was truly astounded by the fact that she would be living with Maki, an impressive pianist. But, would Maki be impressed, by someone like her?

Umi frowned. "Mother, are you sure about this?"

Her mother leaned in to embrace her, and nodded on Umi's shoulder. "You will be alright. I am sure. We will call you every week to see how well you are coping, okay?"

She pursed her lips, therefore returning the warm hug, and nodded once again. "Okay,"

Once they pulled apart, Umi's mother left quietly like a mouse. And the light that was revealed on the floor, had now faded and had become part of the dark. She continued to pack her things inside a fairly large box and several bags. Umi was going to miss it here. But, like her mother said, they would call her every week. As the lampshade continued to illuminate her room, Umi tucked her laptop back into it's case, and sighed after placing it inside the box. She wasn't done yet, and it seemed like forever. Even though it was just a few things. She wondered whether Maki would still be up at this hour, because she wanted to at least talk about tomorrow, however she resisted and proceeded to stuff her undergarments inside a bag.

"Nishikino Maki, huh?" Umi murmured.

She stared at the phone number scribbled onto the piece of paper, the urge wanting to break her. "Maybe, I should call her. No, it's night. But, what if- ah, this is too complicated,"

So instead, Umi picked up her phone, wrote down Maki's number and her thumb fell on top of the keyboard. She flinched. And suddenly, she felt anxiety creeping towards her. After a few minutes, she placed a palm on the side of her head.

 _'What should I type...? Good night? Hi, it's Sonoda Umi, I'm your new room mate- no! Sorry for disturbing you late at night, but I was wondering- oh I give up.'_

Umi closed her phone and sat down on her bed. She found herself gazing at the starry sky outside the window, admiring it's beautiful contents. Each star was different. They were unique. It was the same with people: each individual was different and have special traits. A gift. Only given to them. Eventually, Umi frowned; somehow she managed to drift into thoughts about her uncle, who sadly passed away a few months ago. Uncle Takeshi was a good person, always helping and taking part in events. He was even a writer. He was part of the reason why Umi wanted to become a writer like him someday. His laughter, and, _rubbish_ but somehow funny jokes always brightened up her day. So when his body was found in bed, not breathing, the investigators and police had reported to the rest of the Sonoda family almost instantly, and everyone had been put in a dark atmosphere. Umi, however, pushed it too far. She was rampaging, and didn't want to eat at all. It left her in sorrow, like everyone else, but, much deeper. Despair, even.

She could feel a tear roll down her cheeks. Then she brushed them off and curled her lips into a smile - her uncle was in a good place. He was happy, and she was certain that he didn't want to see her cry. A sad memory, it was. But, Umi didn't want to think about it longer, and peeled her duvet off to get inside bed. She flickered the lamp off, turning the room into complete darkness apart from the gleaming moonlight on her desk. Her cheeks reddened at the warmth, and she felt her eyes flutter. Then - they shut. And Umi had fallen asleep, hoping not to be disturbed in her slumber.

* * *

When Umi was awoke by the burst of the gleaming illumination inside her room, she jolted in realisation and sat up hurriedly. Her amber orbs widened. Today, she was going to meet Nishikino Maki - _her_ new room mate. Swiping her duvet aside with her legs, Umi put both her hands onto her neck. She needed to get ready, and was already looking at time on the cream wall: 8:10AM. Usually she would wake up earlier than that, but today it just hasn't happened. Panicking, she rushed to pack the last things that were essential and stuffed them inside the box carefully (so she doesn't ruin the rest).

Afterwards, Umi hurriedly strolled down the hallway to the bathroom with a hairbrush in her hand, and assumed that her hair was a mess. Looking into the mirror by the time she had arrived, she let out a crispy sigh - she was right all along. And so Umi brushed, not too hard, yet not too soft. It started out slowly, before it got a hint of aggressiveness. She had never felt so rushed and stressed in her life (although maybe before an archery competition), and when she was satisfied she headed back to her room and put the bags altogether. She placed her hands on her hips.

"I need to get changed..."

But, just when she was about to grab her clothes that were already hanging behind the door, her phone rang. She cocked a questionable eyebrow, curious to see why someone would call her at a time like this. Despite the fact that Maki would have probably acted like this if she called her last night, Umi went over to see that an unknown number was calling her. She processed it inside her head, and twisted her body to stare at Maki's number on the crumpled piece of paper. Then her golden orbs widened in bewilderment: the unknown number, was in fact the one and only Nishikino Maki's number. Panicking, Umi picked up her phone quickly and answered after she took a breath in, and exhaled.

"Hello? This is Sonoda Umi, may I ask why-"

"Yeah, uh, hello. This is Nishikino Maki, I hear you are my new room mate?"

Maki's voice was slightly aggravated, but soft like a puff of clouds looming across the sky. It caused Umi to freeze at the sudden interruption; she didn't mind in the end though.

"Hello? Are you there?"

Snapping out of her thoughts, Umi held the phone beside her ear, stuttering in humiliation. "Y-yes! T-this is Sonoda Umi. I am grateful to b-be in your care, N-Nishikino-san...! I was just wondering h-how you got my n-number..."

"Please, don't call me formally." Maki replied, a grin tugging her lips.

"A-ah, okay then, M-Maki. Sorry. Please call me by my name too then."

"What's with that? Anyways, uh, Umi. I got your number from Papa. You are arriving before lunch, right? Do you know my postcode?" she asked.

"Mm. My father got it from yours. It should only take 15-20 minutes to get to your place, as Akihabara is close. And yes, I am arriving before lunch." Umi answered, without stammering on the words this time. Though, when she heard Maki say 'Papa', her lips curved into a smile in amusement. She heard the girl on the phone sigh in relief. "What's wrong?"

"N-nothing... It was just a reminder, that's why I'm calling. I've got to go now, I'll see you later, I guess."

"Yeah, uh, see you later. It was nice talking to you..."

"Y-you too, Umi." Maki said. And the phone call ended with a beep, before Umi had flashed a broad smile. She put her phone against her chest, and out of the blue, Umi felt a fluttering feeling inside her stomach. Maki seemed alright, to be honest. Though, Maki's first impression of Umi might have been rather entertaining.

"You know, this might not be _that_ bad actually,"

And so, Umi began to get ready for moving to Akihabara, with help from her mother and father. She got changed after everything was safe and secure, before coming to the kitchen in order to have breakfast - she was going soon. Umi was left wondrously thinking. The bluenette was going to miss it here in Tokyo.

* * *

"Do you need help moving the bags into the car, Umi?" her father questioned, eying Umi in concern. The honey-eyed girl shook her head, declining the offer as the cool breeze brushed against her pale skin. The bags were still in the house, lying on top of each other, with the large box beside. Her house was not that big, but, it was home - that she was going to leave.

"No, it's fine, father. I appreciate it though." said Umi, giving him an assuring smile. Her father patted her head, and then Umi brought a bag to the car outside. It wasn't rich, it wasn't poor. Just an average black Toyota. Umi lifted up the boot of the car and stuffed a bag inside, pushing it as far as it can go to create enough space. Then she headed back to grab two more.

 _'I still can't believe it...'_

Once all the bags were put inside, with the box in the back seat (they reduced room), Umi took a breath and exhaled once again. She stared at her house, and heard the door open to reveal her mother, who was already walking towards her. Her mother put her hands on Umi's shoulders, and gave her a warm hug. The bluenette returned the form of skinship, before saying:

"I'll miss you, mother."

Her mother had choked sobbing, and her breathing was hitched. Umi wiped away her tears, and her mother blowed her nose into a tissue. Her father, however, was unamused by his wife's actions. "I'll miss you too, Umi dear,"

"Okay then, I'm off. Take care,"

"Yes, Umi. Oh, Satoshi, our daughter has grown!" and she blowed her nose again, tears trickling down her moist face. "I resisted crying, and saved it up until this day."

Satoshi rubbed her back in comfort. "She has, Hina. We are going now, it's time."

"I see now. The Nishikino's wouldn't want you to arrive late indeed."

Her crying paused for a while as soon as Umi got into the car with her father, and when the engine roared like a lion, it began again. Once the loud uproar had faded, as well as the Toyota in the distance, she headed back into the house with a batch of tissues in her hand, sobbing her eyes out. But she was happy, because her daughter would be safe and sound.

 _Meanwhile,_

Umi and her father were still on their way to the Nishikino Family. The short journey began silent, and no one had the courage to break it. All Satoshi did was stare at the roads ahead of him, focused and concentrated. Which is why Umi didn't talk; she would call out and make her father be off-guard. So instead, Umi took out her phone from her light pocket on her azure blouse, glancing at her recent call - Maki. She proceeded to text her, but didn't get to when her father took a look at Umi shortly. He looked back forward.

"Did Maki call you earlier today?"

Umi stared at him, "Yes, she was just reminding me about today."

"I see. What do you think?"

A blush formed on Umi's cheeks, and she stammered, her arms becoming hot and sweaty, "F-Father! T-that's shameless!"

She heard him chuckle, "Umi, I don't mean it that way. What has happened to you? Haha,"

The bluenette became stiff, she remained quiet.

"Nishikino-san, she's alright. I think we will get along, or I hope. Why?" Umi shot a questionable expression.

Satoshi shook his head briefly, "Nothing in particular, dear. The Nishikino's are very nice, and I appreciate the fact that they accepted. My promotion...I love you Umi, of course. But, this job..."

She frowned, "You know I am only 20 minutes away from home, right? I can come anytime, father,"

For once in a while, Satoshi smiled. They were nearing the house of the Nishikino's. It was just 3 more minutes away. "Yes, Umi. Make your mother and I proud."

Umi could see the house in the distance. It was beautiful, she had never seen a house like that before, even with her family's high status in business. A large water fountain at front, with a row of flowers along the roadway. She thought it was like a grand opening. As soon as the car stopped, Umi gazed at her father, who tried his best to uncover a smile. He brushed his midnight hair to the side.

"We arrived."

The bluenette climbed out of the car, and nervously walked up the pale white stairs to the scarlet door. She gulped, as she knocked hesitantly. The hairs on her arm stood up, and goosebumps kept laughing at her. Knock. Knock. Knock. It wasn't until she heard it open, exposing a young figure with flaming red hair, and lilac orbs, plus a lovely attire that she couldn't resist to gawk at.

"M-Maki, it is me, Umi. N-nice, to meet you."

* * *

 _ **And so they have met. What happens in the next chapter? To be continued~ I hoped you liked this introduction. Reviews, follows and favourites are appreciated.**_


	2. Chapter 2

_A/N: Before I continue with chapter two, I just want to say a big thank you to those who have followed, favourited and reviewed. It completely blowed me away, and I had no idea so many people would be interested. Now, after looking at the reviews, I was so happy, and I kinda messed up with Akihabara and Tokyo bit after realising. What I meant was Umi was living in another district, near central Tokyo XD But never mind. Thank you to those who pointed it out :3 Anyways, here is chapter two, and I hope you enjoy! Sorry I was late, school was being a pain in the ass. I didn't abandon! Just to remind you guys as well that this is a KotoUmi and NicoMaki fic, though, I started with some UmiMaki hints, didn't I? Huehuehue-_

 ** _Disclaimer: I do not own Love Live! and any of the characters from the franchise._**

* * *

 _Chapter Two_

* * *

Maki despised the empty silence. It was something she couldn't stand at all. Sighing deeply, she could only continue to walk through the halls of the grand house, utterly saddened by how dull the white walls were and how quiet it was.

Oil paintings that observed the insights of the past were plastered to the wall as if they were an army of little men at halt, and the red roses her mother had placed onto a square, simple wooden table stood out among the pale interior. Then came in an average figure of black from the kitchen doors, pushing up his shadowed spectacles, and stared at the redhead with a weak smile.

It had been at least a hour since the call this morning, and ever since that, Maki had been waiting. She wanted to deny the fact that her arms were trembling during the call, but it had already been caught by the observant eye that belonged to-

"Kyousuke?" Maki breathed, startled from his sudden appearance. "What are you doing up so early in the morning?"

Running his slender fingers throughout his dirty brown, clean hair, the man strode to her and took her hand gently. Eventually Maki was aware of the icy touch on her hand, diffusing in seconds and causing her to tremble as the sunlight cast upon her.

Kyousuke leaned back and took a bow, frowning afterward. "I'm afraid duty calls. There has been a corruption in the kitchen, where your father is at the moment, dealing with the incident. I must quickly grab a black bin to put the glass inside."

She raised an eyebrow before stealing a glance at the kitchen. She could sense several noises, some of which were loud and overwhelming, sometimes quiet and shy. "Glass? Did someone-"

"I apologise, Nishikino-san, but your father won't be pleased if I return late. If you must, go. But, what's there isn't your business and is already being dealt with. Excuse me, madam."

The panicky worker rushed off into the distance, leaving her alone in the large building. Her brows furrowed as she repeated his words again quietly, irking her and making her teeth clamp against the other. But Maki stopped, watching the doors to the kitchen open suddenly, revealing a small woman with curly, dirty blonde hair with a tall man looking disgruntled and upset leading her.

"After going through the time to spend these expensive glasses that were used in historical times, you foolishly tried to take one and two and more for your own good." He frowned and clenched his fists. "Stealing is not right and never will be. You'd be lucky if I had not caught you in the spur of the moment, Mari."

Gulping, Mari swiped a tear off her watery eyes. Maki's violet eyes widened at the state of the chef's hands, filled with fresh cuts and wounds.

The redhead knew Mari was poor, but her talented gift of cooking had earned her her position here at the house. To be smuggling during a shift was not usual for the little chef.

"I apologise, sir. S-something was deeply wrong with m-me." Mari sniffled, her confidence drained to zero.

Maki imagined her father to be disappointed, because he knew that this was the end of Mari's service here at the Nishikino's. But, this was how strict and cruel her family was. And Maki couldn't change that even if she desired to.

* * *

There was a knock on the door. It wasn't too brash, nor too polite. Yet, Maki was conscious of who it was.

It had been thirty-two minutes since Mari was politely fired and taken out of the building by Geoffrey, and the workers had still acted the same as ever. After that event the redhead discovered the mess on the kitchen floor as well, and it was not a pleasant sight.

They were like robots with no sense of humour and were unemotional individuals that focused on their jobs only to get their rewarded wage.

But here's the thing, some of them weren't like robots at all.

Like Geoffrey, practically another father-figure to Maki, as the tall, awkward man would always initiate conversations between the two when he didn't have any tasks.

They were another family together.

Maki's father was usually out of the house. He was silent whenever he was at home, which was unlikely anyhow, and always invested in his own business. There was no room to have a conversation. And because of the life that was set for the young girl, Maki had stopped taking piano lessons and stopped attending her usual big competitions as a well-known pianist and a 'brilliant individual', as what many people have said over the years.

She was told to focus on her studies and walk her parents' path. A doctor, who was set to inherit the hospital.

Her family's hospital lived up to its reputation as the best in all of Akihabara and Tokyo, yet, Maki wasn't sure if she wanted to carry on the generation that's been passed on for a long time. But she had no choice.

Clearing her thoughts, Maki shook her head as she paused from walking in no particular direction, silenced by the atmosphere.

"Maki, open the door,"

Turning around, she nodded at her father, who let out a genuine smile.

"Yes, Papa,"

She went ahead to the door slowly, the beat of her heart gradually increasing its mighty tempo and dynamics. It pounded as if it had crashed against the stones and chunky rocks bordering the shore, acting as large waves that were powerful enough to strike anything down.

That's what was going on in her body.

A tsunami.

Why had she suddenly started feeling like this? was the question stuck inside her head. It was only Umi, the stuttering girl this morning.

The intensity that grew throughout her body was not helping at all. Her arms begun sweating, Maki found herself inhaling deeply several times, and plus, the thought of meeting her new room mate daunted her.

It wasn't everyday that you would be receiving a room mate who would be living with you from now on, after all.

"What the heck? I, I don't get this at all…!" she cursed under her breath, before grasping onto the handle.

Taking a deep breath once again, Maki slowly twisted the knob. She pulled, trembling throughout her body. Then Maki squinted as the door opened to reveal light and a flash of deep sea blue hair.

What made her mesmerised was the fact that there was an additional honey-tinted eyes. The illumination coming from behind Umi made her look like an angel and caused her amber eyes to glow like a firefly.

It was magical.

"M-Maki, it is me, Umi. N-nice, to meet you." the bluenette timidly said, barely growing louder. She fiddled with her fingers as Maki observed her appearance.

The newcomer's fashion sense was not awful, but not at its best effort. It was only a mere thought in Maki's head though. Simple as that.

"U-uhm, I really appreciate it, M-Maki,"

Amused, the redhead cracked a smile. "Welcome to the Nishikino's, Umi."

"I-I...Thank you,"

"You're...you're welcome," Maki muttered, shying away with eyes fixed on the floor.

There was a brief silence. Sure, Maki had a hatred for it; this was different though. It felt surprisingly comfortable.

After a while - glancing at the car in the distance - Maki called for Geoffrey, who instantly arrived barely after three seconds as if he was superhuman. As the tall, slender butler walked out to grab Umi's items, Maki lead her inside.

Umi had to hesitate when she registered the beauty of the Nishikino's house.

Eyes glinting in awe, the bluenette stared at the decor around her, while Maki twirled the strands of her flaming hair. Umi wondered whether any designers or architects made monthly visits every year.

"It truly is amazing..." she gasped, twisting to meet Maki's eyes.

The redhead swore her heart skipped a beat. And so her cheeks began to feel warm and dense.

"I-Isn't every h-house like this?" she tried to run away from the subject, "It's not that great,"

Umi frowned, "I don't see why you think that, Maki."

Another silence occurred as the two stared at each other. Maki wasn't sure what the older girl was feeling at the moment, as Umi's expression turned out to be unemotional. She cocked an eyebrow up.

"You don't know how lonely it feels," Maki unconsciously replied. Averting her eyes, she turned round.

The bluenette's golden orbs widened in shock. She didn't expect this. But before she could open her mouth, Geoffrey came inside with a hand clutching onto Umi's bags, and the other with the large box. The door behind the butler creaked, afterward shut still.

"Sonoda-san, welcome to the Nishikino's. I shall take you to your room in ten minutes, and preparation for lunch will begin. I thank you for coming to stay with Nishikino madam and her parents. Things will become very interesting. Even Nishikino-sama will enjoy your stay here." He bowed respectively, while Umi became flustered.

"G-Geoffrey!" Maki cried, and he chuckled.

"No problem- I mean, it is a pleasure to be here." Umi winced. She noted to slap herself later on.

"Do not worry, Sonoda-san. You will get used to it quickly," He smirked.

Maki crossed her arms, "Hah? What's that supposed to mean?"

The butler did not reply, and sighed in content. She twitched in embarrassment yet annoyance. Quietly, Geoffrey left and faded into the distance, his arms full of Umi's property. Maki watched him go. When she looked back to her room mate, Umi began shifting uncomfortably.

"I-is everyone here l-like this when someone a-arrives?"

Blinking, Maki gazed at the other. Umi took a step back. Then the redhead puffed her cheeks and covered her mouth with a hand, chuckling.

 _W-what...?_ Umi shaped her lips into an average 'o' and scratched the back of her head. Why was she laughing all of the sudden? "M-Maki?"

Swiping a tear of joy, the amethyst-eyed girl said as a matter-of-factly, "It's just that the way you said it made me laugh. And, yes, they do,"

Umi was still questioning herself, and then she felt her ears perk at the sound of constant footsteps. It was approaching them quietly - Umi stared at the large shadow on the floor. It lacked detail, leaving a dark reflection of a larger body. It wasn't hers.

"Ah, Sonoda-san, you have arrived."

Maki's father stood straight, his maroon, bark hair brushed to the side neatly. His attire included a white suit with a bold red tie and pitch black shoes. The wrinkles on his face weakly stood out, but was noticeable even from a fair distance. Maki's father's brows were thick and made him look stern. The bluenette stared at him, though there was no sign of recognition on his face, apart from the fact that he was a Nishikino.

"N-Nishikino-san," she barely said. "I-it is a pleasure to stay here," Umi awkwardly bowed, as the redhead strode to him and afterward he gave her a kiss on the forehead. The bluenette blinked. Umi noticed that the interaction between the two was absurdly out of sync. It didn't seem right. It felt incredibly _forced_. Though, it eventually rushed to the back of her head. She decided that she would ask later, but wasn't certain Maki would be happy to hear it.

Not wanting to intrude their personal business, Umi tried to casually act like she never saw it. She didn't want to lead to conclusions just yet. But, it still bugged her, despite putting it at the back of her head so easily. She shook her head and forcefully smiled at the two.

"Maki, my daughter here, shall give you a quick tour of the house so you have the opportunity to familiarise yourself with it. Don't worry if you do get lost after the tour though, as Geoffrey and Maki will always be around and won't hesitate to help. In around fifteen minutes lunch will be served at the dinner hall. Take your time," Umi nodded. His lips curled into a grin. "You are one unique individual indeed. Your father was true,"

Satisfied, Maki's father left to do his duties and vanished in a flash. She didn't understand his last few words. The two were once again enraptured by the serene atmosphere, both lacking the courage to initiate a conversation.

Maki remembered what her father said five days ago.

 _"Sonoda-san will accompany you from now on and you two shall become friends, whether you like it or not."_

Then it daunted her. Was he using Umi? Just because she didn't have many friends, or any playmates? Her face became warm as she tensed, She hissed angrily before Umi spoke up worriedly.

"Maki," she said softly.

"What?!" the redhead spat. Where was her father's sense of purpose?

Umi stiffened, startled by the response she recieved, "A-are you okay? You seem a bit out of it, am I irritating you?"

She flinched at the tone of her voice and her genuine care, shaking her head after. "No, it's fine. You're not annoying me, don't worry. Come on, let's go." And she begun to lead Umi.

"Maki,"

She stopped. "What?"

The redhead had begun to be slightly irritated.

"We're room mates now," she said, "If this is going to work, we need to be able to trust each other, right?"

Somehow, it made her feel guilty. There was a knot slowly forming in her throat. "Y-yeah. But, we'll talk about it later. For now, I need to give you a tour of the house. Geoffrey's going to show you your room soon,"

"I see...let's go then,"

* * *

They began the tour at the dining hall. Umi and Maki sauntered around the area; it was bustling with workers under the Nishikino family, who were already preparing for lunch. Maki could see Kyousuke place another napkin on the table with a freshly cleaned, cutlery sitting beside it without moving. He focused, his hands still and concentrated.

There was a chandelier dangling in the centre of the hall, flashing brightly downwards towards them. Apart from that, the hall was fashioned with vintage furniture and a portrait of Maki' father. It made Umi open her mouth and stare like she had just won the lottery.

"This is the dining hall, where my family and I usually eat our meals. They're busy preparing at the moment, so we should go since it might cause some distractions." Maki informed the bluenette, who stood in front of the large self-portrait. "Umi?"

Snapping out of her thoughts, Umi staggered with her feet, swaying a little, to the redhead. "S-sorry, I was just admiring the artist's style. It was very interesting, I like how the artist portrayed your father."

 _My father isn't what everyone thinks he is._

"I see, it's fine. Though you're a bit keen and eager aren't you?"

Umi laughed, while she grinned.

"Next is the kitchen, but we'll only be there shortly since they're cooking and don't want to be disturbed. Let's go," she said, and approached the exit. Kyousuke lifted up his head from below and noticed them walking away. His eyes were particularly on the bluenette. And before he knew it, he was already rushing towards them.

"N-Nishikino-san!" he cried.

"Kyousuke?" she responded, while Umi was left confused. The slightly chubby man panted, gasping for breath, despite the fact he had only ran several metres.

"I-I, I just wanted to..."- he scanned Umi's appearance -"Meet your room mate...woah,"

Kyousuke gulped.

"You could've said earlier. They're preparing lunch, Kyousuke. This is Sonoda Umi, she'll be staying here from now on,"

"Y-yeah, t-that's fine w-with me," he murmured at the sight of the older female behind her. "As l-long as I s-see her a-around..."

A disapproving look flashed Maki's petite face. She crossed her arms in exchange to his constant stammering, her suspicions rising. "The heck? What's wrong with you today, Kyousuke?"

"U-uhm, Maki," Umi quietly said, reaching for the redhead's shoulder, "don't you think we should be going?"

Glaring at Kyousuke, she eventually nodded. "Yeah, whatever. Come on,"

By the time they left the area, Umi shot the redhead a questionable expression. "Who was he?" she blurted out, "Why did he keep staring at my-"

Maki slapped her hand onto Umi's mouth, blushing a shade of deep red, almost matching her hair. "B-be quiet! He...he's Kyousuke. He works here at the building. I don't know why he was staring, but don't theorise anything yet."

Shocked by the other's sudden action, Umi pushed Maki's hand down. "Is that something he does regularly, because I swear-"

"U-Umi...!"

The bluenette was silenced by a palm on her lips. It felt warm, though what made her even more red was the fact that the way Maki's hair covered her face made her look like she had just finished a run. Her face was hot and moist, the strands of her hair becoming thin. Umi realised that the weather outside was beautiful, the skies blue and clear, no clouds scattered across it.

"S-sorry, I was just surprised by his actions,"

Maki pulled her hands away, fixated on the floor. "It's fine," she looked ahead, "Look, the kitchen's right around the corner,"

"Yeah, I can see double doors. Off we go then," They strode off into the distance, Umi admiring more of the house's contents, and eventually entered the kitchen without a disruption.

 _After 5 minutes..._

They desperately rushed out of the kitchen. Panting, Umi wiped off the sweat on her face, while Maki leaned against the wall trying to capture her breath.

"W-why was it so h-hot there?" Umi gasped, "It was l-like a sauna...!"

Maki felt a smile tugging her lips, "It never gets old,"

"Exactly what do you mean by that?" Umi looked up from her knees.

They paused, breaking into laughter afterwards. The redhead brushed off a tear at her eye. She hadn't felt like this in a long time.

"What's with that?"

Umi chuckled, "You know, it's been great,"

"We haven't even been halfway through your tour yet, Umi," Maki mentioned, and glanced at the time on the clock, "We have three more minutes until Geoffrey takes you to your room. One more, and it's...kind of my favourite, I guess..."

"H-huh?" Before Umi could add anything else, Maki grabbed her hand and lead her to the room. They curved to the left, walked up the stairs, and arrived at a large door with two shelves adjacent to it, exposing awards that the younger one had been rewarded. Most of them consisted of flashy gold trophies, only a few medals, and some certificates. The bluenette was particularly interested at the certificates, for the dates were addressed to the early years. _Meaning_ Maki was a child when she earned them.

"Hey, when did you start doing competitions?"

"How did you know I...oh, I see. I started at a really early age, to be honest." Maki answered, "About four, I think. Every Saturday and Thursday I would have a professional and experienced teacher come here to teach me how to play the piano. Eventually I tried doing guitar, but I stopped because the piano was what captured my heart the most," she clutched onto her chest tightly.

"I see. Does this mean this room has your-"

"Yes, my piano. I remember I had to put thick books on my stool when I was younger. It's something I kind of miss, but it's not like I care anymore. Let's hurry, Geoffrey's coming soon,"

A creak occurred as Maki opened the door, revealing a red-wallpapered room with pale stripes. A piano sat at the corner, and another shelf full of awards and books. Once they took a step inside, the purple-eyed female walked over to the piano and rose up the large cover, folding it and placing it onto the floor. Umi ran towards her, her footsteps reflecting the constant sound of echoes. "You're playing?"

"I guess. I haven't played it in a while, since I've stopped piano lessons and I can't do competitions anymore,"

Umi remained silent, not wanting to invade her personal issues. The bluenette realised that lately she's been asking too much questions. But what she didn't understand was how Maki stayed calm and answered quickly without hesitation.

"There's this song that earned me young composer of the year, d-do you want t-to hear it...?" Maki asked out of the blue. Umi was surprised at her boldness; flashing a broad smile, she turned, her midnight hair drifting against the air.

"Sure, Maki, what's it called?"

Placing a finger on a note, Maki replied softly, "It's called _Aishiteru Banzai._ "

And she begun, closing her eyes, and opened her mouth to sing as hard as she could.

Umi would never forget that beautiful sound.


End file.
